


for a whale of a time!

by SETFORSTUN



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Amusement Park, M/M, emetophobia cw, it's like mentioned though it's not graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 08:06:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8437891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SETFORSTUN/pseuds/SETFORSTUN
Summary: Working the most notoriously nauseating roller coaster in the dead of a Massachusetts summer doesn’t seem like it has many perks, but Soonyoung makes it work somehow.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ironcouer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironcouer/gifts).



> exchange happened!! big big big love to cat @allthatconfetti for doing absolutely everything she could 2 make this work ilu <3 <3 
> 
> for blake: i'm so glad u wanted soongyu because binch me too.... i have no idea what your preferences are in fic really so i hope i didn’t butcher it too badly!! we've only rly talked abt how much we love mingyu 2gether but you're really a joy and have such a sweet and pure love of svt. also love 2 mixed tlist :^)

 

It will always be miserable in July, Soonyoung thinks, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the collar of his already damp tee shirt. After two months of consecutive wear it can’t really be called white anymore, but the blue logo has retained its original neon-brightness; the cartoon whale smiles up at him, askew.

 

_For a Whale of a Time!_

 

Soonyoung taps his foot against the inside of the plywood stand, fingers drumming out a separate rhythm on the red lever in the center. Screams of terror and joy float through the humid air, both of which Soonyoung has long since learned to tune out. He itches to snatch the walkie-talkie from the shelf by his knees and tell Jihoon just how good he has it reading his little novels and doing simple arithmetic in the ticket booth, but he can't let go of the lever just now.

 

Three Mississippi. Two Mississippi. One. Soonyoung cranks the handle towards his chest. Hopping up from behind the booth, he jogs around the metal structure, helping dazed children and adults alike out of their seatbelts. When he's herded them all off of the grass behind the hexagonal fence, he takes a breath, schools his features into a smile once again.

 

"Step right up for the Octopus, folks! Whalom Park's gut-wrencher! Just two tokens!"

 

~~~

 

The thing about summer employment at Whalom Park is: sweating until your swim trunks chafe. Bug bites. And, if you're working a certain metal hell-box that oscillates at nauseating speeds like Soonyoung is this year, it also includes vomit.

 

This time it's a child, the chocolate under his fingernails and smeared across his cheeks a telltale sign. Soonyoung almost catches it before it happens, the kid's eyes going comically wide as the the metal contraption swivels in the direction of the booth. Before the ride can even grind to a complete halt Soonyoung is off of his stool, walkie-talkie in hand.

 

"Cleanup on the Octopus," he says into the speaker, trying to unbuckle the kid's seatbelt one-handed so it doesn't stain the nylon. It's in vain; the kid's already spitting up funnel cake, but fortunately this time not on Soonyoung's shoes. Soonyoung sighs, sidestepping the mess. It doesn't faze him like it used to, but he likes to ham it up a little, whining into the walkie-talkie.

 

"Send your cutest janitor."

 

Jihoon's voice crackles through the other end of the receiver.

 

"I'm amazed it took this long today. I think he's pestering Vernon for hotdogs at the Snack Shack right now, but I'll get him out to your station. Anything interesting?"

 

"Looks like the classic funnel cake and root beer combo," Soonyoung replies, pinching the bridge of his nose and pointedly ignoring the stifled laughter creeping into the corners of Jihoon's words. "I wanna go bleach my nostrils now, can I take my break early?"

 

Another voice pipes up on the receiver.

 

"Roger that, Moonbase Alpha. Over."

 

"Vernon, this is the main line."

 

"Hm. Roger that, Ticketmaster. Please don't let Cathy fire me. Mingyu's on his way over, over."

 

~~~

 

"So, third time this week, huh?"

 

Soonyoung jolts where he's sitting on the grass behind the booth, coughing heavily around his previously-discreet cigarette. Mingyu's appeared in his periphery, looking at him cockeyed over the booth. He edges around to the side Soonyoung has propped his back up against, a can of the weird powder stuff they use to dry up the vomit in one hand, bucket and bleach in the other. Hair sweat-mussed and curling around his ears, almost-perpetual ring of funnel-cake powdered sugar around his mouth. You didn't hear this from him, but Soonyoung's been kind of tempted to lick it off himself lately. Not that he would. Not that Jihoon would ever let him live that down.

 

"Jesus God," He coughs again, takes a quick drag. "Yeah, hoping it's the last."

 

Mingyu looks at him, then squints toward the still-stationary Octopus. The heavy set of master-keys drags down the waistband of his swim trunks on just one side. He grins.

 

"Yeah, but then you wouldn't get to see me."

 

~~~

 

Soonyoung had been fully prepared to slump behind the booth for the entirety of his break and wallow in his own sweaty, pathetic existence. But Mingyu, the edge of his farmer's tan peeking over the edge of his socks, flashes Soonyoung a lopsided grin, jostling his arm as he plops down into the grass beside him. With Mingyu’s sticky-damp shoulder just barely touching his own, Soonyoung finds himself stubbing his cigarette out in the grass and tilting towards him.

 

With his head thrown back and eyes closed, Mingyu looks so calm and content that Soonyoung can’t help but feel his gaze soften, quiet smile pulling at the edge of his lips. Mingyu’s hair curls softly onto his forehead, the fine sheen on his skin licking it into tiny points. When Soonyoung follows them down over his eyebrows, he finds Mingyu looking right back at him.

 

"What have you been doing today?" Soonyoung blurts out, hoping the crack in his voice had been relatively subtle. Mingyu smiles at him for a second, and Soonyoung’s face suddenly feels a little too warm and he has to look away.

 

"Me and Vernon were gonna try every to eat every kind of funnel cake in the Snack-Shack! I had like three but Minghao caught us right before I could get the fourth...I was gonna bring some over for you though! I promise—"

 

"It’s okay," Soonyoung laughs, nudging his shoulder a little. "Don’t bring the one with caramel or I’ll disown you."

 

Prompted by Mingyu’s affronted face, Soonyoung elaborates. "No dude like, I know that’s like the park specialty or whatever, but also how are _you_ okay with eating them when you have to clean—" and here Soonyoung gestures towards the offending Octopus seat "—all that shit up every day?"

 

Mingyu blinks at him. "I don’t look at it like that."

 

"Then how do you?"

 

"Barf’s not funnel-cakes."

 

"…I mean, okay, but it kind of is?"

 

"Nah dude. I compartmentalize. Plus once the powder stuff’s on there it kind of looks like tiny breaded chicken tenders—"

 

"Dude!"

 

"Not funnel-cake-y at all!"

 

Soonyoung can’t help but laugh— Mingyu looking at him so earnestly, pointy incisor poking out of the left of his smile. Soonyoung bites his lip.

 

"Don’t you have to put that stuff down before it dries?"

 

"Shit!"

 

He almost regrets reminding him, because Mingyu bounds away with funnel-cake enthusiasm and Soonyoung can’t really bring himself to watch him clean up the vomit. From his languid slump, he eyes the walkie-talkie in the grass by his side.

 

"I’m fucked."

 

A voice crackles back over the speaker. "What’d you say? Over,"

 

"Nevermind, Vernon."

 

Jihoon’s quiet laugh floats ominously from the receiver.

 

~~~

 

Soonyoung’s next break happens at six, and on any other day he’d just go over and steal a hotdog from the Snack Shack. Today, however, if Mingyu’s earlier anecdote is anything to go by, Minghao might take more objection to pilfering than usual. So he decides to go scavenging in slightly more benign pastures: Soonyoung sets off towards the wave pool.

 

There may not be a Snack Shack in the lifeguard tower, but there’s definitely a one Joshua Hong. Soonyoung squints up into the high chair to find his friend looking out across the pool deck. Soonyoung waves his hands around to no avail, finally rummaging in his pocket for a rock-hard wad of chewed gum curled back into the wrapper. His throw hits Josh on the lens of his shitty plastic wayfarers.

 

Josh jumps, visibly startled, then looks a little guilty as he grins down at Soonyoung.

 

"Hey dude, what’s up?"

 

But Soonyoung is already following the path of his gaze across the wave pool. When he catches a familiar flash of red swim trunks and a toned shoulder he turns back to Josh, smiling.

 

"Oh?" Soonyoung says, edging nearer to the sides of the lifeguard tower, shit-eating grin firmly in place. " _Seungcheol?_  What’s all this?"

 

He didn’t think Josh could manage to look much more uncomfortable, but as he shrinks away from his advancing smile Soonyoung thinks he may have accomplished it.

 

"No it’s not like that dude, don’t give me that, please—"

 

"Oh, don’t go there Joshy, you definitely want a piece of that. Don’t lie."

 

"Stop talking so loud!"

 

"What?" Soonyoung says, "You don’t want people to know you have a big, fat cr—"

 

"Shut up dude! Oh my god!"

 

Soonyoung turns his cheshire smile from the red swim trunks across the pool back to Josh.

 

"What’d your mom give you for dinner today?"

 

"I hate you so much. Meatloaf."

 

~~~

 

Josh gets dinner break from the wave pool at 6:30, so Soonyoung lingers around the lifeguard tower until then. Looking out across the pool deck, Soonyoung thinks he's relatively fortunate running the Octopus, vomit aside. Josh and the other lifeguard Seungcheol have many more body fluids to potentially deal with.

 

Seungcheol meanders towards the employee lockers with them, and Soonyoung doesn’t miss the way Josh pointedly meets neither of their gazes.

 

"So, Seungcheol, how’s the shift been?" Soonyoung tries, feeling Josh’s small wince to his left. He fights the urge to roll his eyes.

 

"Pretty good, dude. No one puked at least. I had to jump in to break up a fight a couple hours in though."

 

"A fight? Like fourth-grade kids?"

 

"Nah like, these guys were our age throwing punches in like waist-deep water. It wasn’t that hard to break it up though, they weren’t very strong."

 

Josh pipes up. "I thought they were pretty big."

 

Seungcheol eyes him, then quirks his mouth into a smile. "They were around your size I guess. Good thing I had deck duty, you might not have won."

 

Soonyoung laughs at Josh’s expression, knows he wants to retort but can’t. Seungcheol makes him nervous. Josh says it’s because he’s intimidating, but that’s definitely bullshit if you ask Soonyoung. Knowing Josh, he’s probably just freaked out by how bad he wants to suck on Seungcheol’s bicep or something. Soonyoung grabs the thermos out of Josh’s employee locker before he can get a word in edgewise. There’s mashed potatoes in the thermos alongside the meatloaf.

 

Josh hands his fork over with a sigh.

 

~~~

 

"Vernon, please don’t eat the pepperoni right now," Minghao says without looking over his shoulder. "That’ll be $6.50."

 

They’re at the Snack Shack window, Minghao ringing Josh up for the shitty meatball sub he really shouldn’t have had to purchase. Vernon, in the back, drops the plastic baggie back onto the counter. Soonyoung can’t help but let out a giggle that Minghao immediately cuts off with a quelling stare.

 

Josh clears his throat a little, in an annoying way. "Uh, thanks."

 

Seungcheol asks for a hot dog and a creamie, of course vanilla-chocolate swirl, and watches Minghao closely as he puts some into the tester cup to warm up the machine. When Minghao is poised over the lever with Seungcheol’s cone under the extruder, Vernon sneakily edging towards the tester cup with a plastic spoon, Seungcheol opens his mouth.

 

"I know Cathy says six loops from the machine is a small. Don’t skimp, I’m watching."

 

Minghao rolls his eyes. "Okay, champ, I’ll make sure you get your $1.50’s worth."

 

Soonyoung glances at Joshua, who's pointedly not looking at him again. He sure knows how to pick 'em, Soonyoung thinks.

 

In the back, Vernon’s eating runny soft-serve directly out of the styrofoam tester cup.

 

~~~

~~~

~~~

 

Soonyoung cranks the lever, helps the riders unbuckle their seatbelts. Measures the smaller kids against the whale mascot cutout. Lets them pick a seat on the ride. Cranks the lever again.

 

He’s been doing this since 9:00AM, and the hour before his one o’clock lunch break looms large. Wonwoo came to visit him earlier, but he was only really there to brag about how early Cathy let him take his break. Soonyoung knows it’s because Wonwoo runs The Whip, which is…exactly like it sounds, and therefore not particularly popular to begin with, but he was still annoying about it.

 

He’s just starting up the next round of riders on the Octopus when he catches the flash of an electric blue staff visor in his periphery. Suddenly Mingyu is bounding over in said visor, grinning widely in his direction. Soonyoung feels his face heat up, and only just remembers to look back at the ride before he throws the lever. Mingyu sidles up to the booth, but doesn’t say anything, just smiles. Soonyoung’s grateful, because Cathy would absolutely hand his ass to him if she saw him distracted while the Octopus was online. So he just keeps an eye out for potential pukers for the duration of the ride, Mingyu’s tanned shoulder resting up against the booth at his side.

 

He cranks the lever once again and waits for the contraption to come to a stop. While the metal frame groans and squeaks, Mingyu leans over the side of the booth to make sure Soonyoung can hear him over the racket.

 

"Cathy asked me to tell you you can take lunch early."

 

"What’s the catch?" Soonyoung says, trying not to be hyper-aware of Mingyu’s breath fanning over his ear and failing.

 

"Honestly? I think she took pity on you."

 

"Just my luck," Soonyoung says lightly, hopping from the booth to help the kids out of their seatbelts. He hopes it was casual enough that Mingyu doesn’t notice the flush on his cheeks.

 

When he heads back to the booth to grab the walkie talkie, he almost has to turn right back around, maybe call Jihoon, possibly to wait for the earth to swallow him up. Because Mingyu has a plate of funnel cakes, drizzled in chocolate sauce and sprinkled with powdered sugar, and his smile is so sweetly earnest that Soonyoung could absolutely die.

 

"Told you I'd remember next time!"

 

They sit up against the booth again, Mingyu discarding the visor to dry the sweat-damp hair at his temples. For every bite that Soonyoung takes of the funnel cake Mingyu is there to take two, leaning into his shoulder and flashing a toothy grin.

 

"You have chocolate sauce all over your face."

 

"Isn’t that half of the point?" Mingyu says, smiling over a mouthful. There’s powdered sugar on his nose.

 

Looking at him, Soonyoung thinks maybe it is.

 

~~~

 

Soonyoung somehow makes it through his shift without any vomit-related incidents, so maybe the man upstairs doesn’t have it in for him after all. Honestly, he’d rather pass out in the backseat of his car amongst the empty soft-drink cups than do pretty much anything else right now, but he finds himself lingering by the staff lockers over his drawstring backpack.

 

The air now has the humid, dusky quality that signifies either an evening thundershower or copious amount of mosquitoes, and sometimes both. When he sees Mingyu lingering by the snack shack, poking idly at dirty napkins on the ground with his trash pick, Soonyoung weighs his options.

 

It seems that his body made up his mind for him, however, because soon he’s leaning up against the plywood hot dog sign by the snack shack, grinning at Mingyu.

 

"Does Cathy really make you guys stay this long? Or do you secretly live here?"

 

Mingyu smiles back at him.

 

"I mean, there’s an air mattress in the janitor’s closet for the wave pool. I really could."

 

"Is that why you always hide out in there on your break, you little—"

 

"You keep track of my breaktimes?"

 

Soonyoung stops the steady rhythm he’s been tapping into the mustard squiggle on the hot dog sign and hopes the sharp breath he just sucked in wasn’t as noticeable as it felt.

 

"Dude, I sit in a box and pull a lever all day. I know everything there is to know about Whalom Park."

 

"Oh yeah?" Mingyu flashes a smile. "Wanna bet?"

 

Soonyoung has three dollar bills and four, maybe five gum wrappers in his pocket, but he thinks the question is maybe rhetorical because Mingyu is already dragging him by the wrist to the recycling bins by the wave pool.

 

"You know that MyCokeRewards thing that’s been on Coke caps for years but no one ever actually collects for? Me and Vernon are trying to get the vintage vending machine with the glass bottles. It’s like 3,000 points but we’re almost halfway there now!"

 

Soonyoung sees many flaws with this plan, but Mingyu’s animated gesturing keeps him from opening his mouth.

 

"Every night when Cathy has me closing I go through these and take the caps. Yesterday I got thirty! It’s like, the perfect system."

 

Soonyoung opens his mouth, closes it again.

 

"Have you gone through them tonight?"

 

Mingyu turns to look at him, and Soonyoung thinks he catches a kind of softness in his eyes. He reaches for the ring of custodian keys weighing down the side of his swim trunks.

 

"Not yet!"

 

~~~

 

Eighteen Coke caps richer, they walk with heavy pockets down the strip where all the larger rides are, Mingyu occasionally pausing to spear a hot dog wrapper with the trash pick. Soonyoung kicks at the clumps of cut grass that collect around the edges of the fences that enclose each ride. Once they’ve passed the Tumble Bug, Mingyu grabs his hand again and pulls him into the enclosure for the Whip.

 

"Okay, I’m gonna show you something, but you have to promise me you won’t ever tell Wonwoo because he’d flip if he knew."

 

They’ve stopped, but Mingyu is still holding onto Soonyoung’s hand.

 

"Please don’t tell me you’re taking me to a body."

 

"Nah, it’s better," Mingyu grins. "This can get us creamies from the truck stop off _i-95_."

 

~~~

 

The Whip is a long roller coaster on an oblong path that speeds up through the curves to slingshot riders down the straight shots of the track. After the infamous Octopus, it's definitely Soonyoung’s least favorite ride. But now, squatting underneath the track with Mingyu, he sees it has some benefits.

 

"So you’re telling me every time it goes around the bend people’s change just like, flies out of their pockets?"

 

Mingyu has pulled up the flashlight on his phone. He grins up at Soonyoung, pinching a quarter between thumb and forefinger.

 

"That’s absolutely what I’m telling you."

 

~~~

 

Mingyu lied, but only a little bit—the change adds up to $2.87 instead of $3. Soonyoung doesn’t really mind having to pay the extra thirteen cents.

 

It isn’t quite black-dark but it’s getting there, Mingyu’s shoulder pressed into Soonyoung’s to combat the evening chill as they sit against the base of the Whip. Mingyu’s clinking the stack of pennies idly, but aside from that the silence is comfortable. Soonyoung’s been thinking, again. Mostly about how even though Mingyu doesn’t have that powdered sugar ring on his lips tonight, he’d probably still taste sweet. Gross. He can practically hear Jihoon snickering at him over the walkie talkie already.

 

"Hey, Soonyoung?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"How many cartons of strawberries do you think you could reasonably carry? Like if there were cardboard pallets too."

 

Soonyoung laughs a little but sees Mingyu’s asking in earnest.

 

"I could probably take like, one pallet in each hand but not for very far I think? But like, why? Would I have to walk far with them?"

 

"There’s a picking sale at Hezzy’s farm tomorrow since it’s the end of the season for $1 a pound. Ideally I’d want at least ten pounds—"

 

"Are you asking me on a strawberry-picking date?"

 

"That's not! I--" It’s dark out, but Soonyoung can practically hear the blush on Mingyu’s cheeks when he splutters. Before he can work himself up about it, Soonyoung leans in.

 

"I’d like that," Soonyoung says, face close to Mingyu’s ear. "But only if I get 50% of the earnings. This labor isn’t cheap."

 

Mingyu giggles once, quietly, seems to consider something briefly, then turns his head to meet Soonyoung’s lips. Before Soonyoung can really register it, he’s pulled away to look at him again.

 

"How about you keep what you pick. I’m pretty fast. I can probably pick more than you in the same amount of time."

 

"I can’t believe you. Asking me out and then insulting me like this," Soonyoung smiles. "Sounds like a competition."

 

Mingyu’s lips quirk into a lopsided smile. "You bet it does."

 

The park is quiet. They smile at each other.

 

"You’re on."

 

**Author's Note:**

> ￼￼sidenote Whalom Park is a very real place that my mom very much worked at in the 80s!! it doesn't exist anymore but it was All The Rage back in the day
> 
> also i am so incredibly sorry


End file.
